NEWSLETTER
Derrek Lee – who had a great game last night – was absolutely brutal on Tuesday. In that game, he was hitless, and made two errors that led to three runs. All in all, it was an atrocious, but forgettable performance.
But Chicago Cubs color man Bob Brenly had enough to say about it yesterday on the Waddle and Silvy Show on ESPN1000 that I’m not sure we will forget it any time soon. While discussing the Cubs’ lack of fundamental play, Lee was the example Brenly threw out:
“I’m sure Derrek Lee wasn’t trying to make errors last night, he’s one of the best defensive first basemen in the game,” Brenly said. “But the thing that was disconcerting to me was after the two errors, he didn’t get in position to take a relay throw from center field from Marlon Byrd.
“And then in the next inning, there was a double hit off the wall in center field, and on that play the two middle infielders go out as a double cut-off. The first baseman is supposed to trail the batter as he goes from first to second. Derrek was just standing at first base. Those are the kinds of things that can be avoided. It takes a little focus, a little concentration, and in Derrek’s case last night, he got a little distracted and forgot about what he was supposed to be doing out there.” ESPN Chicago.
Ouch. Shades of Steve Stone there, no?
When thinking about the Cubs, there are probably two guys that folks would say are beyond criticism for a single poor performance – Ryan Dempster and Derrek Lee. To hear Brenly shredding Lee for mental mistakes, particularly mental mistakes in the field, is really rattling.
But that’s not to say that, in this case, Brenly wasn’t right.
